The Opposite Side of the Coin
by Greyliks
Summary: "Olé!" Ruby screamed, whipping her scarlet cape between myself and the converging grimm in the likeness of a matador. Once again, I found myself rationalizing my past career as a terrorist, and, to be honest, the drawbacks no longer seemed so bad. "Adam!" She hissed excitedly. "How can you forget the opening of our combo attack?" She turned with a sly grin. "Adam, say Red Bull!"
1. Chapter 1

"As much as I support an individual's quest for redirection in life, I cannot let one student pose a risk for the safety of all others. I am not looking for a guarantee as occasional mistakes do occur, but how can I know your past…lifestyle will not induce conflict in such a drastically different environment. Besides your word that is." The grey-haired man leaned slightly farther back in his chair, folded his hands over his crossed legs, and steadied his gaze at me over small-rimmed glasses. Behind him, Ms. Goodwitch stared with an intensity that wasn't exactly a glare, but it was definitely close.

My jaw tightened slightly at the suggestion, and I turned momentarily to look out the enormous window which took up the majority of clock tower's walls. The outside view was impressive. Majestic even, with the city of Vale alive and pulsing thousands of feet below. Although I currently hated the office in which I had forced myself to visit, the view alone was nearly enough to ease my discomfort. Nearly.

Knowing they needed an answer, I tore myself away from the city to level my eyes with the headmaster.

"I've already told you why I would like to enroll, but a life at this school is just as much a safe haven for me as it is a huntsman academy. Any problem that arises as a result of my background merely invites my former…associates to review my unexpected departure. Personally." Although I tried to maintain my composure, my knuckles turned white from the death grip of my interlocked hands. I stole a glance at Goodwitch before continuing. "Keeping everyone safe and uninvolved in that aspect of my life is just as much a priority of mine as it is yours. If I mess up in that manner and draw their attention, I don't exactly get a second chance." I mentally winced at the image. I appreciated having all of my appendages attached.

The older huntsman narrowed his eyes briefly before chuckling humorously. I found it difficult to join in as the man was essentially deciding my own longevity. "While I applaud your decision to renounce unjust violence, I also understand the difficult position that puts you in." I very much doubted that. "Very well, I will accept the results of your entrance examination, but we will stay in touch. Regularly. I would hate to see you acclimate…" He paused. "Poorly."

I exhaled slowly and allowed the nervous heat in my stomach to dissipate slightly. Lowering my head, I nodded slowly, refusing to meet his eyes in the fear he would rescind the admission. "Thank you…sir," I managed to reply. I never considered myself an anxious person, but the past few months hadn't exactly allowed for a calm state of mind. Being part of a terrorist organization was certainly stressful, but running from said group proved much more so. And running could only work for so long.

"Should we be aware of anything else you're hiding?" Ms. Goodwitch cut in before I could make my exit. Although she had allowed her superior to conduct the meeting at his leisure, her own thoughts on the matter were explicitly clear.

"Is there anything else we should know as staff that would allow you an easier adjustment?" Ozpin stated more lightly.

Clearing my throat and choosing to look at my savior rather than the venomous pet he kept named Goodwitch, I considered his question. Was there anything else? Knowing the potential cost of such information, Ozpin hadn't asked anything about the White Fang beyond the extent of my involvement. Believing I could learn to fit in easily enough, I tried to think of what else beyond my past, illegal activities might cause me problems. Besides just people in general. Although I preferred to just mildly hate everyone, that mindset wasn't exactly conducive to _blending in_.

"I'm not quite sure how the selection process works, but I would rather not be a team leader." At that, Ozpin raised an eyebrow. From what I had mentioned earlier, he knew I was more than capable of commanding subordinates, especially in combat situations. "I know I'll regret it later, but I can give instruction just fine. I probably need to become better at listening to them more than anything." Yes, I would most definitely regret that. I casually wondered how many times I could shoot myself in the foot before I could no longer outrun my problems.

"Very well, I will keep your request in mind when the time comes. I invite you to do the same no matter how much you may come to regret it." I nodded and mentally fired off another round into the other foot. Glad to be rid of this godforsaken office, I rose quickly, nodded once more, and made for the door. "Oh, and Mr. Taurus," the headmaster called. I stopped in the doorway without turning. "Do try to conduct yourself more amiably among your peers. It's difficult to blend in when everyone learns to give you a wide berth." Although he couldn't exactly see the scowl on my face, the slam of the door probably conveyed a similar message.

God, did I hate people. And I did it blindly. In fact, one could almost say I reveled in it. Although I had tried to rework the entire terrorist thing in the last few months, that did not mean I was trying to be a good person. I was an asshole from the start, and I actively embraced that. The noise from the crowd of anxious and overly-talkative incoming first-years was still audible in the airship restroom despite my attempts to block it out. _Do try to conduct yourself more amiably_ …bastard.

Splashing some cold water on my face, I slicked my hair back into its usual position and tugged the partial face mask back into position. I stared into the bathroom mirror and once again tried to get used to the drastic change in appearance which I had attempted since my sudden career change. I'd allowed the crisp, rose-patterned hair to become overgrown and fall into short, asymmetric spikes down my head. I hated the change, but to hell with it. The red-styled grimm mask had been removed to reveal cold, dark-grey irises, and the before-mentioned, contoured black face-mask continued from my shirt collar onto the bridge of my nose.

With the hood of my black combat jacket pulled up over my horns, I liked to think that I looked dangerous. Or at least relatively unpleasant. Although the outfit screamed non-civilian, the apparel served its dual purposes of making the former Adam Taurus unrecognizable while also falling in line with the atypical attire of huntsmen. I briefly wondered what my former partner would think of the change, but I immediately crushed the thought.

While I would have preferred to continue my musings in the locked compartment, the sound of a fellow student throwing up near the door encouraged me to vacate the only available vomit-receptacle that wasn't another person. Sighing internally, I opened the door to the site of a disheveled, puke-stained male moaning beside his unfortunate victim. The girl, with blond hair down to her ass, stood fuming while looking crossed between pummeling the leaking boy into oblivion and avoiding causing another acidic eruption. Laughing internally (because I'm an asshole), I sidestepped the two casualties and turned right into-

"-God, I just want normal knees-" The girl clad in a red combat skirt stopped her panic-driven monologue to look at me with an expression that screamed _socially incapable_. Well, shit.

"…And I wish you the best in that endeavor." I replied dryly. While waiting in vain for a coherent reply, I felt like a giant standing next to the red misfit. Honestly, she looked twelve, and her people skills didn't deter that assumption. A couple of seconds ticked by while she attempted to use her words, and I internally tried to rationalize life as a terrorist. "Well, it was…nice meeting you. I'll talk to you later-"

"Ruby! Introduce me to your friend!" The blond female exclaimed as she sauntered over to us both. Dammit. "I'm Yang, her older sister!" She offered with a large smile. I immediately disliked her.

"Adam," I replied, forcing a pained smile to my face. A few more seconds went by as I wracked my brain for something to talk about. I suppose I wasn't much better at this than the rose-colored dwarf. Thankfully I was saved by the voice of Miss Goodwitch coming over the intercom.

"Attention all new students, we have arrived at Beacon academy. Please exit promptly and gather before the statue directly in front of the school entrance." Seizing the opportunity for escape, I shouldered my pack and made for the opening shuttle doors.

"I'll talk with you both later," I called to them while praying the opposite. Suppressing another sigh, I locked my eyes upon Ozpin at the end of the walkway and took my place among the herd of students drinking in their new surroundings.

Finding a relatively quiet corner in which to settle down, I unslung my bag and sat down against the wooden wall, propping my weapon beside me. The induction activities had ended at least for today, and we had been dropped off in a large, bare auditorium. Although everyone else was busy spreading out their own, personal sleeping bags, I unfortunately couldn't afford that luxury, nor did I feel the urge to change into something more comfortable. I allowed my head to fall back and watched the sea of people in front of me.

While some immediately tried to sleep for tomorrow's examination, others chose to socialize while already scouting for potential friends and teammates. Maybe they were right to be so proactive in finding allies, and I had even been approached twice about the ordeal. I didn't think the headmaster would allow team formation to be so simple, however, and, to be honest, the idea of finding people with whom to be partnered for the next four years seemed daunting. Fortunately, I didn't seem to be the only one with that same nervous anticipation.

It took a moment to recognize her without the red hood, but Ruby was camped out nearby scribbling furiously into a notebook. Her well-endowed sister lounged next to her, obviously trying to put her mind at ease. While Yang seemed about the same age as myself and the other first year students, Ruby was obviously younger than the typical seventeen years of age for entering Beacon. I briefly wondered if her early admission was a result of skill, luck, or some other factor.

Unfortunately, at this point, the young girl became exasperated at whatever pep talk she was receiving and looked up from her note as she threw her pillow at the blond. Our eyes met, and her cheeks turned scarlet as she noticed my stare. Shit. She quickly looked away, babbling something to Yang as if in panic, and for a moment I actually felt genuinely sorry for the small girl. Although I certainly felt socially out of depth, she very clearly felt herself incapable of making friends with older peers, and today's experiences only appeared to exacerbate those fears. In terms of the isolation, I could empathize to some extent.

Although it felt out of character, I smiled noticeably and raised my hand in a slight wave when she glanced back over to check if I were still staring. While the small gesture really didn't mean much, I supposed the interaction was a small victory for both of us as her face lit up, and she waved back. As the small girl turned her attention back towards Yang, I closed my eyes and allowed my head to fall back against the hard oak. Tomorrow would be all sorts of hell, but I refused to let that stress diminish the last decent night's sleep I would likely get for a while.

Apparently, however, my appearance proved neither dangerous nor unpleasant since not even the guy wearing onesie pajamas was deterred from kneeling down in front of me and placing a hand on my shoulder. Although normally I wouldn't hesitate to break such a hand, his suggestive glance stopped me cold while also making me feel _extremely_ uncomfortable.

My discomfort must have shown as he smiled confidently, and I then swallowed hard. In another setting, I may have noticed the distinct smell of Captain Klean's toothpaste on his breath as it filtered through my face mask, but at that moment, his blue eyes felt penetrating while my own screamed _help me_.

"You know, spots are filling up quickly, but Team Jaune could always use the strong, silent type."

"But sir..." the vomiting youth from earlier whom I'd come to know as Jaune asked in a timid voice, "what is exactly is a landing strategy?" Before last night's awkward encounter, I may have felt sorry for the ill-prepared knight. Now, I was actually kind of glad he didn't know. As Ozpin decided at that moment that taking a long sip form his ever-present coffee was more important than the young man's question, I felt like he shared my sentiments.

I scanned my fellow students one last time before we all settled into a half-crouch (save Jaune). Although I had seen a handful of other faunus the first day, my launch pad was completely surrounded by humans which merely added to my sense of dread. It was unrealistic to hope for a team of only individuals like myself, but at least one other would suffice. Of course, my luck would probably result in a team of only humans. Or females.

The launch of the student to my left refocused my attention to the task at hand. I crouched slightly lower and flicked my eyes towards the headmaster. The stoic huntsman met my gaze with a bemused smile. Before I could narrow my eyes, the platform clicked once underneath me, and I was launched into the air.

The blast of air immediately blew off my hood off, and I flew head first towards the fast-approaching forest below. As the tree line neared, I unslung Wilt and Blush and held the sheathed weapon upside down in front of my torso. Placing my foot on the blade side of the hilt, I pointed the downward-facing handle towards an oncoming branch like a stilt and fired the moment before contact. The hilt shot out at inch before connecting with the bark. The effect absorbed much of the impact and propelled me farther in a more horizontal fashion. With the crimson blade now unsheathed, I jammed the katana into another branch and used my momentum to swing onto lower ones. Wrenching the sword free as I went, I repeated the maneuver until I tucked and rolled on the forest floor. I had landed.

Staying low, I quickly backed into the dense foliage and scanned the surroundings. Nothing existed in the immediate vicinity, so I recombined my weapons and shouldered Blush. Although I couldn't even pretend to harbor the same level of visual and auditory acuity as my former feline friend, my faunus heritage still blessed me with senses far beyond normal human ability. I listened more closely for any sort of life nearby, but the only indication proved the last few thumps of launch pads ejecting students from the cliff now a few miles away. With nothing more to gain here, I chose to venture away from the starting point.

Though the guerrilla tactics of the White Fang had instilled an innate ability to move silently, I still felt uneasy moving through the dark forest. The dense foliage provided just as much cover for lurking grimm as it did for me, and, in this type of environment, I was both hunter and hunted. With some caution, however, I was fairly certain I could move quietly enough to avoid drawing any attent-A heavy gunshot ripped through the air nearby, literally startling every living being within a few mile radius.

Trying to suppress my rage at the fact that any chance of stealth was destroyed with any and all nearby grimm likely converging on this area, I tried to rationalize the discharge.

An accident maybe? Or possibly one of the dark creatures had managed to ambush a student, and the first-year utilized the gun as a last resort? More rounds echoed through the air. Excessively. Carelessly.

Or this person was just an idiot.

I quickly turned away from the source of the commotion in the hopes of avoiding unnecessary combat, but the howling of a converging pack of beowolves erupted through the trees, and black, oncoming shadows appeared at the edges of my field of vision.

Alright, yeah, fuck that guy.

Loosely gripping Wilt, I waited until the closest creature lunged before dropping low, bisecting the wolf, and sheathing my weapon in the same instant. Unfortunately for the attackers, my iaido style proved much too fast, and I dispatched another three grimm in a similar manner before the pack attempted to fight as a unit rather than individuals. This wasn't exactly the fabled grimm intelligence, but a pack mentality did exist in one form or another within most subspecies.

As the monsters converged, I decapitated the closest with a swift horizontal cut and used the dissolving stump as a platform to launch myself in the air. Sweeping Blush in a wide arc, I gunned down the creatures directly below myself while flipping twice to control the maneuver. I jammed Wilt's crimson blade into a wolf's gaping maw upon landing and brought the rifle into the crook of the dying beast's armpit (if they have those), effectively using the dead body as a shield and rifle stand.

After delivering the gift of dust-infused lead to the remaining beowolves, I quickly replaced the weapons on my back while maintaining a grip upon the katana's hilt. Once the bloodied meat shield had slowly collapsed, nothing stirred.

"I like it better without the hood, but I never pegged you as a horny sort of guy."

Sighing explosively, I slowly turned to face God's judgement.


	2. Chapter 2

To be fair, Ozpin had said the first person you locked eyes with became your partner, and her eyes certainly weren't the first things I found myself looking at. Resigning myself to this form of divine punishment, however, my gaze traveled upwards to meet purple irises emitting a look of pure adrenaline and kickass. Yep, definitely punishment. You won this round, karma.

"It's nice to see you too, Yang." I lied, sarcastically. I sincerely tried to be nice, but the fact that this girl would be my new…partner for the next four years blunted any sort of amicable interaction. Thankfully, her grin merely widened at the sarcasm, and she appeared to contain enough enthusiasm for the both of us.

After a moment, though, she brought her hand to her chin as if in deep thought and frowned slightly. "Although I'm happy to see you can tear shit up, your technique will definitely need a lot of work to match my fighting style." I raised an eyebrow. "That will have to wait until later, though. Just try to keep up till then, 'kay?" Without waiting for a reply, she strode off towards God knows where, leaving me contemplating seppuku.

Unfortunately choosing life, I jogged to catch up to my new…and matched pace with the adventurous blond. I glanced down at Yang to study the golden gauntlets which covered her forearms. The ring of shotgun shells strapped to each weapon and the earlier, incessant use of gunfire instilled a sense of dread within me. I wasn't convinced the words _stealth_ or _precision_ existed within her vocabulary.

"I know you're a little bull-headed, but you could keep from staring," she commented with a sly grin. "I call the girls Ember Celica. Well, these girls anyway," the blond continued pumping her arms. I simply rolled my eyes. "Do yours have a name?"

"Blush and Wilt." Yang snorted.

"So you're a flowers kind of guy," she replied in a tone fighting laughter.

Without bothering to acknowledge the stab at my masculinity, I pulled out my scroll to see if any sort of map or guide had been sent to the students. Although no such type of directional aid had been given, I did notice my personal aura level tab had already been updated to include a picture of Ms. Xiao Long sporting a full green bar. Go figure. While the permanence of her company was difficult enough to handle, I grimaced at the idea of Ozpin watching us so closely.

Looking up from the device, my frown deepened and eyes narrowed at the oncoming break in the tree line.

"Aw, why the long face, forehead fingers?" Yang asked at my change in expression. "Did someone ugly send you a nude?"

"Yang."

"Daddy never called back?"

"Yang."

"Did your girlfriend send you a breakup text?-Yang.-and then send a second message saying 'wrong number'?"

"Yang, we are here," I stated nodding towards the crumbling stone ruins in the middle of an expansive, circular clearing. The peaceful and sunny change in scenery starkly contrasted the dark, foreboding woods, and the picnic-perfect field almost seemed to invite individuals to bury their dead, annoying, blond, and dead teammates in the grassy oasis. Bliss.

"And you doubted my sense of direction," she stated proudly as if her confidence made the words true.

"I never once commented on your path of choice," I replied, exhaling.

"Because you were too busy staring at my lady-bits."

And with that, we ventured into the clearing.

* * *

Enlarged, gold and black chess pieces occupied the pedestals lining the only standing, curved wall of the decrepit shrine. Afternoon sunlight filtered through the missing sections of stone, giving the entire picture a warm and inviting quality. I closed my eyes for a moment to enjoy the calming atmosphere.

To my disappointment, Yang was still there when I opened them.

"So these are Ozpin's relics," the blond stated matter-of-factly as she examined the figures. That part seemed self-evident, but, hey, whatever helped her along. "Let's go with a golden pony," she decided with a smile after careful deliberation.

I personally had been leaning towards one of the black rook pieces, but ponies are cool too I guess.

As the blond stared at the shining figurine in her hand, though, a troubled expression settled on her face. "Are you worried about Ruby?" I asked her softly. Her deepening frown answered the question even before she opened her mouth to speak.

At that moment, however, the surrounding tree line erupted into activity as a trio of students hauled ass towards the rubble. While the site of a bleeding Jaune normally wouldn't cause me concern, the breakneck pace of the two students supporting the wounded knight certainly did.

The eastern looking boy on his right appeared ready to collapse, obviously not built for endurance while the short, ginger-haired girl on Arc's left appeared to be chatting with the invalid despite the burden. As they neared the stone structure, however, her voice carried a distinctive, hurried undertone. Although the one-sided conversation appeared directed towards the wounded boy, I wondered if the incessant talking was also a sign of her own borderline panic.

"-and besides, I mean, who's to say its reaction was unwarranted? I know every time a Jehovah's Witness walked into my house-" the girl continued to spout as we rushed to intercept the struggling youths.

As soon as we reached ragged group, I relieved the uninjured male of the weight, and he collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. The din of crashing trees echoed from the dense foliage.

"What happened!?" Yang asked while I inspected the bloodied mess of a student. His airflow came out in short, ragged breaths, and the teen didn't seem to be making any effort to support himself. The front section of his armor bent and crumpled to the left while the black hoodie underneath dangled in tears and ribbons.

The cracks and booms of falling trees resonated more closely, and the ground harbored the slightest of tremors.

"Well, you see, Ren and I had just met up as had been our plan from the start," the ginger detailed rapidly. "That's Ren by the way-Oh, and I'm Nora!" She exclaimed excitedly. The collapse of another tree issued just beyond the edge of the field. "So anyway, we were just passing a cave opening, which have always fascinated me, when Jauney-boy and his red-haired partner came running out chased by the most unpleasant subterranean resident," she continued with a frown. "Brittle bones here immediately took a hit, and Pyrrha ordered us to take him and run while she distracted-"

The massive deathstalker broke into the clearing on the heels of a fleeing Spartan. The easily-identifiable celebrity fighter weaved, ducked, and rolled to avoid the frenzy of its claws and pointed tail. For all of her renowned abilities, the attractive superstar certainly couldn't put up much of a fight. Bringing up her shield to block another tail strike, the impact simply launched the girl across the field.

Chuckling internally at the pinball-like ejection, my mood then immediately soured at the implication of an incapable Pyrrha. "Take him," I barked, roughly dumping the leaking boy on my 'beloved' partner. "Make your way back to the cliffs, and we'll meet you there."

Expecting compliance, I sprinted towards the armored behemoth and its crumpled warrior prey. As the girl struggled to stand, I planted my foot in stride on her shield-strapped back and jumped into the air towards the stalker. Narrowly avoiding being impaled by another tail strike, I corkscrewed past the deadly appendage and delivered three quick diagonal slashes before landing on the bone-plated body.

The beast's left claw whipped up to remove the unwanted rider, and I back flipped off its head to land directly in front of its frothing mouth. As the right pincer came around for a successive attack, I held my sheathed weapon out in front of myself at both ends to catch the open claw in a perpendicular fashion.

The blow impacted akin to an avalanche, and I groaned audibly as my arms burned as if bathed in liquid metal. As the force continued to push me back, the tail coiled back for another attempt.

Although I could undoubtedly tank a direct hit better than the punctured knight, my combat jacket didn't substitute his armor. As the barb jerked downwards, however, I thankfully didn't experience the results. The Spartan's round shield slammed into my ribs, throwing me across the plain.

While my aura took the actual blow, the personal force field merely acted like a layer of armor, and my entire body still absorbed the impact. Despite my lungs screaming in pain, I inhaled raggedly and fought to stand up.

"Move!" What must have been Pyrrha's voice commanded. I threw myself towards the grass again in a rapid, sideways roll.

The force of another tail jab into the dirt threatened to throw me off balance, but I maintained my poise and continued moving in a serpentine fashion. As the deathstalker delivered a flurry of strikes directed towards lucky me, the red-haired warrior sprinted towards us.

Already having replaced the shield upon her back, Pyrrha snatched up and shouldered Blush and Wilt while maintaining her pace. Raising both her sword and my own, the girl summersaulted onto the grimm and drove the blades into the creature's two, front-most eyes.

As the monster screamed viciously and flailed erratically, the star athlete jumped in my direction. Catching my thrown weapon from the girl, we broke into the trees at a sprint before the massive grimm recovered.

Although we couldn't hear or see the others, the odor of Jaune's blood remained potent to my heightened senses, so I took to the lead. Pyrrha didn't question my chosen direction and easily kept pace.

"Thank you for your help back there," she began between breaths. I grunted in reply rather than waste the oxygen. "Hopefully none of the other students encountered that caliber of grimm. At least not before finding a partner."

I glanced over at the seasoned fighter to notice a look of concern occupying her features. In light of our current situation, I was honestly surprised her thoughts weren't slightly more self-centered. In the nicest way possible, the well-being of other students was the least of my worries.

A distant crash in the forest behind us served as a reminder of our pissed, yet still more than capable adversary. We both stepped up our pace.

"How was Jaune doing when they reached the clearing?" This time, she glanced up at me to speak, and I was actually surprised by the look of genuine concern occupying her features. She had literally just met the guy. "I had only unlocked his aura right before the deathstalker jumped us." Her expression darkened. "I never should have allowed us to go into the cave." The crease on her forehead deepened for a moment before she simply shook her head in a mix of frustration, anxiety, and general fatigue.

To be honest, I didn't exactly know how to handle this. The objective side of me wanted to point out that this was day one of initiation, and we were running from a massive, bone-plated scorpion towards a severely injured teammate. The last thing we needed was an emotional liability.

I couldn't help but feel sympathy for the Mistral champion, however, and telling my former teammate to get it together in the field previously had merely produced a cold machine.

I never did decide what to do in that situation as the forest in front of us exploded in a maelstrom of toppling trees and a hurricane force gale. For a moment, a black shadow blotted out the sun as the force of beating wings threatened to throw both of us off of our feet.

As Pyrrha collapsed backwards from the impact of the windstorm, I reached out to grab her arm and caught…Ruby.

After having to take a few steps back to absorb her torpedo like collision (and remain standing which was a feat in itself), I lifted the girl up to eye level, allowing her feet to dangle.

"Ruby, I-" I began.

"Adam, you have horns..." she stated, leaving her mouth open in quiet amazement. She said it like I didn't know. Like we discovered it together. Staring at me with big, silver eyes brimming with wonder, she reached out and tugged one gently.

"It's circling back, you dolt!" A shrill voice shouted behind her. A piercing screech punctuated the end of the sentence, and wings flapped like sonic booms nearby.

"Ruby, I hate everything about you," I concluded, modifying my originally intended statement. Although the girl became crestfallen, we had more pressing issues to contend with.

"Run!" Pyrrha shouted. Dropping Ruby, we took off in the direction of the cliffs. I glanced back at the small group, and my blood ran cold.

Weiss Schnee. Ruby was partnered with an heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. Until 6 months ago, I had standing orders to kill the girl and anyone else in the immediate family if the opportunity ever arose on an assignment. I hated her. Although that lifestyle was over, her mere presence proved enough to stir my old animosity.

"Everybody look out!" Pyrrha screamed, jerking my attention away from the privileged little bitch. We had reached the edge of the woods and the rest of our companions as well in front of a small clearing before the imposing cliffs.

Unfortunately, the nevermore held itself aloft between us and our destination. A piercing war cry preceded its attack.

"Ren, Yang, distract it! Nora, ask it to move!" commanded a voice from none other than Jaune, himself. Despite his weakened state, the knight's words carried a surprising tone of authority, and the others obeyed instantly.

As the monster drew its wings back in preparation for an assault, the pair rushed out from the edge of the tree line, unleashing a flurry of gunfire. Although most of the rounds simply missed due to the distance, the combination of constant firing and Yang's obscene yelling caused the beast adequate irritation.

Throwing both of its outstretched limbs in a downward fashion, the grimm launched a hailstorm of massive, razor-sharp feathers towards the weaving figures.

As Ren and Yang attempted to avoid being impaled, Nora sauntered out of the woods. Bringing around the barrel of her pink-trimmed grenade launcher, the ginger girl paused just long enough to blow a kiss.

She fired.

The heavy rounds detonated in pinkish firestorms against the black beast, and with a vengeful shriek, the winged creature took to the air. Unfortunately, the grimm didn't retreat far.

"That changes nothing," the entitled albino stated haughtily. "We'd be easy targets scaling the cliff face if we even got the chance." As much as I blindly disliked the cold-hearted bitch, her point was valid.

We stood in silence for a moment as the two previous decoys rejoined our group.

"We could try to sneak up individually while the rest run interference," I offered. Plenty of problems existed with that course, and I wasn't sure if it truly counted as a 'solution,' but we couldn't fight that thing from down here. We lacked the firepower to bring it down for a melee. Assuming we could even win that.

"That's not an option," Pyrrha said calmly but firmly. She knelt on the ground beside her injured partner, keeping a hand on his shoulder.

"You know we can't fight it from the ground," I replied evenly. I wasn't advocating we abandon the knight, but the longer we stayed idle, the worse our situation would become.

"Well unless you're also hiding a pair of wings and maybe a saddle, we need a different approach," Pyrrha stated with hardened voice. Her green eyes shown slightly colder, and I looked away more out of frustration at our situation rather than anger towards her.

"Pyrrha's right. We can't reach the top by splitting up," Ruby spoke up, looking at the champion before turning her gaze towards me. "I know we also can't put up much of a fight from all the way down here," the red-themed girl said slowly. I raised an eyebrow at her intense expression but didn't interrupt.

"Ruby?" Yang asked, looking towards her sister with concern.

"I think I know how we can bring the nevermore down. I just need you guys to get me up there."

* * *

The impact of flying debris wasn't the worst part. While my depleting aura acted as my shield, I still felt the pain from the ejected rocks. And I felt each one. The worst part, however, quickly became the nevermore's shriek. My aura couldn't block that. And as the grimm released a bloodcurdling cry with each pass, ripping long gouges into the earth where I'd been only a moment before, the close proximity of the screech caused the sides of my mask to congeal with blood.

After the beast's third pass, I had stopped wiping my ears in an attempt to hear more than the pulsing fluid. After the fifth, I only heard a constant ring.

I rose to my unsteady feet as quickly as I could. After the creature's seven failed attempts to skewer me with its needle-like beak, the surrounding field looked like a carcass marred by carrion birds. While the beast had also strafed the area repeatedly with 7 foot, spear-like feathers, those attacks stopped when the monster simply had no more extra feathers capable of being thrown.

Drawing Blush once again to continue our endless game, I fired successive rounds at the airborne grimm, prolonging its rage. The bullets did little more than annoy the creature but that was the goal. Although it hated all humans, I was fairly certain that I topped its list. The nevermore circled for another attempt. By this point, I almost wished the damn bird had managed to clip me.

While I couldn't exactly hear my scroll ringing, the vibration in my pocket indicated that the others were ready. Keeping my eyes trained on my new, avian friend, I raised my arm to show I understood the signal. After one more deep breath, I took off towards the dilapidated bridge connecting the forest to the cliff face. As my role as the bait kept my spirits at an all-time low, I chose not to look down.

The uneven stones shook slightly as I sprinted down the walkway. To my left, I watched as the nevermore dropped low to pick up speed. Seeing as how I was rendezvousing with the team at the end of the bridge, and I was only about halfway, I didn't feel very optimistic.

Although the bird's impact with the bridge may only have felt like a tremor to the girls on the far side, that tremor nearly killed me. As I jumped forward to avoid immediate bisection, the beast blew through the entire middle section of the crossing.

Despite feeling like a thousand needles were pricking the entirety of my back, I tumbled onto one of the few supported sections of stone still alive and relatively alright.

As I pushed myself up, the grimm shrieked again and clawed its way higher into the air for another attack. I looked back towards the devastation.

With no way back across, we were now fully committed to Ruby's exceedingly dangerous plan. Actually, seeing as how my role as bait was now locked in regardless of the others doing their parts of not, I supposed that I was the only one unequivocally committed to Ruby's plan. It was a wonderful realization.

Across the way, however, another wave of destruction unfolded on the grassy plain. Everybody's favorite deathstalker decided to make a reappearance for Jaune and his guard. Although the distance partially blurred the ensuing battle, Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora appeared to be faring poorly. Even from this far away, the champion's movements were definitely slowed, and the eastern boy's green outfit seemed much darker than it should have been.

I lifted my head to see the nevermore finish making its turn and rear its bone-covered head in my direction. I glanced once more towards the skirmish on the plain before resuming my endeavor towards the pavilion at the bridge's far end.

The flying creature raced to intercept me.

At 100 meters away, I saw a small girl standing with a massive scythe walk to the edge at the top of the cliff. The beast flew closer. At 50 yards away, the girl's sister appeared on the pavilion, crouched and ready to spring. At 20 yards, a line of downward facing glyphs appeared along the cliff side. At 10, both girls jumped.

At this point, the nevermore collided with the stone structure. The entire plan hinged upon timing. Near perfect timing. And the two sisters were the only ones familiar enough with each other to pull it off.

As the beast homed in on me like a missile, scarlet and gold rushed to meet it. In an uppercut motion, Yang's gauntleted fist struck the underside of the grimm's beak. As if in a call and response, the blow was answered with her younger sister's blade to the creature's neck. Yang served as the chopping block and Ruby the guillotine.

Yang asked only that I get out of the way. Ruby was hoping I'd catch her.

Fortunately, I accomplished both.

* * *

"This wasn't exactly what I meant," the dark-haired girl said in a small voice. She kicked her feet slightly as they dangled.

Around us, the last few stones cascaded down into the ravine. The stone platform no longer existed, joining the deteriorating body of the nevermore at the bottom of the gorge.

"Since I can't actually hear what you're saying at the moment, I'm going to assume you're thanking me," I replied when I saw the girl's lips move. "Because people start feeling much less generous when the recipient complains."

Standing upon the hilt of my sword which was already pegging the girl's hood to the cliff face, I looked down into her large, round eyes.

"And let me be explicitly clear. Bait never feels very generous."


	3. Chapter 3

The sun had yet to rise when I awoke, and the only sound came from the breathing of my three roommates. I checked my scroll, and the display read 6:27. Exhaling slowly but quietly, I sat up and shut off the impending alarm.

Ducking to avoid Yang's overhanging arm, I rose from the bottom bunk and silently dressed myself in the running pants and a t-shirt I'd left out the night before. A small bundle with an attached note sat upon my shoes. Thanks to my heritage, I didn't need to turn on a light as I examined the message.

 _Weiss complained that it was becoming 'brisk' outside, so I made this for you. I couldn't really measure your head and keep it a surprise, so I used Yang instead. I hope it fits._

 _-Ruby_

 _P.S. Yang says you'll look adorabull._

I rolled my eyes at the postscript but chuckled soundlessly as I inspected the small girl's handiwork.

The simple, scarlet skullcap was…interesting to put it lightly. I never recalled having a brain tumor, but I supposed the amorphous design anticipated the diagnosis. Lucky me. I slid my right index and middle fingers through the two, asymmetric holes cut into what I conjectured was supposed to be the front. I smiled and shook my head slightly.

According to Yang, Ruby had taken up knitting about a month before coming to Beacon. To ease the small girls mind and get her to do something rather than train incessantly every waking hour due to nerves at her enrollment, Red chose knitting in the likeness of her mother. While Ruby seemed to avoiding talking about the late Mrs. Rose, the young girl had proudly announced her mother's ability whenever I had inquired about her signature red hood. The garment had originally been Summer's.

Unfortunately, I couldn't exactly reject the gift without crushing the girl's feelings. Sighing, I put on the damn thing. Upsetting her would just cause me a headache later.

And I didn't want to see her crestfallen either.

The halls were still deserted as I made my way to the front courtyard. My scroll read 6:42, so I figured that I had plenty of time for a short run and possibly light exercising before Dr. Oobleck's 8 AM.

"If you don't stretch now, you'll regret it come Goodwitch's class today. You know that Ren will keep you on your toes," A friendly voice spoke up behind me. I liked to think that she was just very stealthy as opposed to me being unperceptive.

"When have you ever seen a wild animal stretch?" I countered, turning to see the Mistral Champion doing exactly that in the chilly, morning air. Every inch of the slim, athletic girl was muscled and toned. It was no wonder that my teammates' self-esteem took a hit each time they met the red-head exiting the girls shower.

"Nor have I ever seen a wild animal wear a crooked hat to keep warm. Besides, sheep have wool," she stated with a slight grin. "And I also wouldn't consider them too wild."

"It was great seeing you too, Pyrrha. I hope your run goes well," I said beginning to jog away in mock protest. Within a few moments, she was at my said as we ran towards the Beacon cliffs.

"I was _kidding_ ," she replied, emphasizing the final word. "And I like the hat," she added. "From Ruby?" I nodded, more distracted looking at the veins of the city coming to life thousands of feet below. "From what I've seen, she's been far too self-conscious about her ability to make anything for anyone so far. Not even Yang." I looked away from the revitalizing city to glance at the celebrity. She expressed a look of curiosity.

"Do you think that means anything?" she finally asked.

I laughed a little at that. "I think she's trying her best to improve the team dynamic. Yang is her sister, so that's a given, but I believe she'd like to bring the rest of us closer together. Since Weiss will never go out of her way to make friends with a _faunus_ , maybe Ruby's hoping a present will give her a little leverage over me," I explained. "I'm sure the little shrimp will try begging me to be nice to the ice queen again within a day."

Although a close-knit unit should be the desire of any leader, I wondered if part of her efforts stemmed from her younger, more innocent mindset. Everyone should be friends.

Pyrrha nodded understandingly.

"That's an admirable goal," the champion commented, letting the words hang there as if expecting me to say more.

"I think she also likes the idea of an older brother," I conceded. "The hat may be her way of cementing that."

While I respected her role as leader whenever appropriate, I usually considered her a kid in most other social environments. Although she hated being labeled a child in any degree, I had definitely noticed the way she would defer to me with her questions and latch onto my words in a manner similar to Yang. I wasn't really quite sure how I felt about the dynamic.

More than once I had wondered if she had any older, male figures growing up. The sisters were quick to describe their eccentric father, but from Yang's somewhat parent-like attitude towards her younger sibling, I questioned who had truly raised Ruby.

Pyrrha's voice brought me back to reality.

"Is it too much to assume the thought's crossed your mind as well?" The champion asked after a few moments of quiet running.

"I think I have my hands full just trying to take care of myself while simply _dealing_ with everyone else. The last thing I need is someone else to look out for, and I think Mama Bear Yang would eviscerate me if I tried to take her job," I replied, layering the sarcasm. "Besides," I added chuckling, "I'm too much trouble to become attached to."

Pyrrha rolled her eyes.

We ran along the cliff's edge for a few more minutes before turning back towards campus along my usual loop.

In the long silence, my mind drifted back towards another thought I'd been cultivating throughout the run.

"So Jaune put you in a good mood last night?" I inquired, knowing she wouldn't bring it up on her own. The girl's face flushed.

"What do you mean exactly? Jaune and I trained as usual," she stated evenly. Her cheeks retained a reddish hue, however.

"The last time I noticed, your pre-class routine consisted of strict, combat exercises while early morning runs were more my thing. When was the last time you skipped your militaristic calisthenics to get some fresh air?" The girl's pace quickened in just the slightest manner. "Furthermore, when was the last time you felt carefree enough to trade banter or ask about my personal relationships?" The champion's ears turned a darker shade of scarlet.

While we occasionally did say hello to each other if our paths crossed during our usual morning routines, I would never consider the two of us close in any regard. More friends by association. If she was excited enough use me for some social interaction, though, I could only guess she really just wanted someone to talk to even if she didn't want to talk about the actual cause of said excitement. And only one thing inspired both excitement and nervousness in the champion.

Maybe she hoped that her sarcastic, uninterested pseudo-friend wouldn't care to look into her talkative mood. Unfortunately for her, I did. The opportunity of making the calm, stoic champion squirm was much too enjoyable to pass up.

After a few more moments of silence, she glanced up to see my raised eyebrow and bemused smile. I probably shouldn't have enjoyed tormenting her in this fashion, but I already acknowledged myself as an asshole two chapters ago.

"I'm just very happy with the improvements he's made in the last two months," she finally answered. "Despite his more…adolescent behaviors in certain social environments, he's definitely grown since arriving at Beacon and he's remained dedicated to pushing himself given the opportunity. For the better of the team more than just himself." She smiled vibrantly.

Although I still found her feelings to be amusing albeit confusing, I was still surprised by the intense pride she displayed when talking about the boy. Despite his undeniable improvements, I really couldn't find anything too admirable about him.

"It's just wonderful to know you're directly aiding someone in achieving their goal. I think he's going to become a brilliant and powerful huntsman." I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

"And what does he think of you?" I asked more straightforwardly. The red-head looked away this time in an even darker shade of crimson.

"I…would like to think he considers me a close friend." I wondered if the girl realized her affection appeared obvious to everyone within a mile radius. Except the recipient of said feelings, of course. Amazing how that works out.

I merely gave her a sideways glance. My notched eyebrow only seemed to exasperate her.

"You're no different from Yang," she accused after pausing. "Just more stoic and less vulgar."

I smiled faintly as we reached the courtyard.

* * *

"You could at least knock before coming in!" Weiss complained as I returned from the shower. "We could have been indecent."

"I don't think I should have to knock for my own room," I replied. "Besides, you don't really have anything to hide." The bitch just glowered at me while Yang laughed. Ruby stood in front of her closet mirror, attempting to make herself look presentable while still somewhat comatose.

Seizing both the opportunity and the small girl herself, I threw her cape over her head and then slammed her onto the top bunk. Still standing, I leaned my elbows against the bedside with my hands clasped under my chin. It took her a moment to fight through the daze.

"Adam, why?" She moaned, drawing out the why like a small child.

"I needed to thank you for the hat," I stated casually. Although I usually preferred to conduct myself in a more reserved fashion and typically only gave out dry, backseat sarcasm when interaction was expected, I truly did want to thank the girl.

Engaging in her more childish antics was just a means to do that.

"But why do your thank you's have to hurt?" The young leader asked again in dazed bewilderment.

"What can I say? I have the devil's horns." The girl simply groaned and covered her head with a pillow. I brought my fist down in a sluggish punch where I guessed her forehead to be. Unfortunately, it felt more like her nose.

"Come on," I said as she whined through the pillow. "If we're late, Oobleck might ask us to stay for an extended lecture."

That comment alone quickly ushered the girls into the hallway. As we passed Team JNPR's adjacent room, Yang pounded twice on the door.

"Hurry the hell up."

As if on cue, Ren exited the room. Although he maintained a calm demeanor, he seemed to enjoy the brief moments away from the hammer-wielding ginger.

Nora quickly burst from the room to catch up with her _closest_ best friend. The rest of us and anyone else who had the misfortune of talking to the girl seemed to be given the title honorarily.

"Ren, you should really should have waited for the rest of us! I don't want to have to tell the story twice!" None of us really believed that, however, and the girl immediately detailed the entire account as Ren shouldered his burden in silence.

As we kept walking, Pyrrha stood in the doorway, waiting for her partner. The half-dozing boy stumbled out, looking like he had only been awake long enough to put on clothes (if he had even changed the night before). The celebrity sighed and then busied herself tidying the boy.

"So you actually liked the hat?" Ruby asked at my side, looking up at me nervously. I smiled faintly.

"I really did," I said more referring to the intention than the actual gift itself. "It fit well enough," I lied. "Although I'm not exactly sure what that says about your sister's head. It may be a little inflated."

"Ruby, maybe you should knit him some new kneecaps while you're at it," the blond threatened in a calm voice. I suddenly felt very thankful my partner and I had our snickering leader between us.

Weiss merely huffed at the exchange as we arrived to class as it began.

" ," the doctor commented rapidly while still articulating each syllable.

"I apologize for my teammates' caused tardiness, Dr. Oobleck," the conceited icicle explained innocently in a tone honeyed in false remorse. "It will _not_ happen again," she stated as if a fact, shooting us a dirty look.

If her glare could be read as a warning, mine was an elegant 'fuck you.' I could also almost the twitch in Yang's middle digit.

"Yourcurrentattendancerecordindicates…otherwise," the professor stated before launching into his next lecture. Ruby made a face at her partner as we settled into our seats.

Despite the others' misgivings about the 8 AM, droning lecture, I actually enjoyed the class. Or at least the content. Although Oobleck sped through the annals of history at his own, breakneck pace, I was fascinated by the vast history of Remnant and the instructor's honest, politically-unbiased, yet moral interpretation of past events. And it wasn't only Oobleck's class in which I endeavored to excel.

Although I had always planned on applying myself academically as a means of thanking Ozpin and showing him that he hadn't wasted a spot on me, I thoroughly loved the opportunity to learn.

Despite its eventual about-face, the original, more peaceful White Fang had highly valued education as a means of advancing faunus achievement. Growing up essentially raised by the organization ensured that myself and the other faunus children were given a solid, scholastic foundation.

Unfortunately, the nomadic lifestyle and lack of permanent, trained instructors could only take us so far. Plus, life outside the kingdoms was simply difficult. A good portion of our instruction was focused solely on learning how to survive.

By the time Oobleck's monologue drew to a close, Nora's complaints of hunger were matched only be her own stomach growls, and we made our way to the dining hall.

"Ren, you should be eating pancakes too. If Adam takes a knock at your stomach, the fluffy thickness will absorb the blow, and you could surprise him with a super-secret ninja strike!" The ginger demonstrated with an animated chopping motion.

"Nora, I don't think that's how digestion works," the eastern boy replied slowly. "And how would it be secret when Adam's sitting right there?" Nora's menacing eyes became directed towards me.

"So the bastard caught on…" she muttered in a low voice. I shrugged.

"I could act surprised," I offered. Nora contemplated strategy for a moment, and Ren just sighed. I gave him a sympathetic half-smile.

Although we dueled as singles or pairs in Goodwitch's class every day of the week, each individual often only fought against a select pool of opponents with whom you were best matched in terms of skill and fighting style.

Ren and I could both be considered within the top-tier of students, but we had yet to face each other. Our class grew bored seeing the same matchups, so new combinations always stirred excitement.

"It'll be fun to see an actual fight rather than Pyrrha just handicapping her opponents," Yang stated flicking her eyes towards the champion. "Or Jaune getting the shit kicked out of him by Cardin," she added.

"Jaune's progress has been exceptional over the last few weeks," the red-haired girl said jumping to her partner's defense. The boy of debate looked down towards his plate.

"And those fights are exceptionally boring to watch," my own partner retorted. Although Yang's comments probably stemmed from her own bitterness at repeated losses against the champion, honestly, she wasn't wrong.

"It's alright, Pyrrha." The knight said, calming the champion. "We all know I'm the worst fighter in the class."

"But you've improved so much. And I've _always_ found your fights to be extremely entertaining," she stressed.

"Is that because you enjoy seeing him emasculated as much as I do?" Weiss asked icily. Pyrrha fumed.

Despite my own dislike of the shrill heiress, Jaune did actively encourage her scorn from his repeated attempts at romance. At this point, even I twitched at the strum of his guitar. Judging from his skills, or lack thereof, and adolescent advances towards women, I questioned Jaune's appointment as a team leader.

Actually, I would even question his place at the school itself if I were not a reformed terrorist. If Ozpin were willing to let me in, I supposed that I didn't really have the right to question Jaune's enrollment.

"We're just waiting to see all of your hard work pay off," Ruby said to make up for her teammates' remarks. She kicked my shin underneath the table

"And your fighting ability could improve drastically once you discover your semblance," I added both unwillingly and uncharacteristically. That little bitch. "Both Ruby's and Pyrrha's combat styles rely almost exclusively on theirs. Take away that, and I guarantee they're both a lot more 'touchable.'"

Ruby frowned, but my shins felt no sympathy for the midget devil. And Pyrrha could afford to have her pedestal knocked down a few pegs.

"Adam's right, Juane. I'm nothing special without my polarity, and you'll become much stronger once we discover your semblance," the girl encouraged while shooting me a thankful smile.

I returned the gesture although she was wrong on both accounts. The Mistral Champion was every kind of special even without the edge from her semblance. And Jaune's own, dormant ability did not guarantee any sort of fighting improvement.

"We may want to leave for the training arena," Ren cut in softly. "Improvement won't mean much if we miss the matches."

"That's the spirit, Ren!" His partner cheered as we got up to leave. I suspected his desire to leave stemmed more from a wish to get a small break from Nora than enthusiasm for combat.

I quickly caught up with the black-haired teen, also eager to be away from the rest of the group.

"Winner buys drinks?" I offered. He chuckled quietly at the suggestion.

"We'd have to slip away quietly. Nora would want to come, and I'd hate to imagine her intoxicated," He shuddered visibly at the idea, and it was my turn to laugh.

"I could use a night away from the girls," I agreed.

The two of us walked the rest of the way in a much enjoyed silence.

As a class, we took our place in the stadium seating. As Cardin and Jaune readied themselves in the adjacent locker rooms, I sat near the back, preferring to avoid the chatter of the other students. My partner slumped down beside me.

She seemed tired despite snoring like a chainsaw the entirety of previous night. For a few moments we both just stared at the opponents facing each other in the ring.

I wondered when Jaune would finally grow a pair and take down the prick. Form his progress, it seemed only a matter of time, but the girls were right. It was damn annoying.

"Thanks for that this morning with Ruby," she began without either of us looking away from the impending fight. Jaune and Cardin squared off in in the arena, the former feebly and the latter carelessly.

"I just wanted to show her that I appreciated the gift," I replied casually. "Or at least the gesture." In the ring, Cardin launched a two-handed assault before Goodwitch officially started the match. Jaune narrowly avoided the punishing blow by jumping backwards.

"You know what I mean," she said, giving me a look. And I did. "The transition is hard for her. I guess it is for a lot of people, but her age doesn't help. The funerals on the second day didn't help either."

She paused for a moment, and both of our thoughts drifted towards the initiates who hadn't been as fortunate or skilled as ourselves on the first day.

Below, Jaune appeared to surprise himself more than anyone by blocking another one of Cardin's attacks and countering with a swift uppercut. The lumbering brute's aura dropped by 10%.

"Anyway, your interactions and playful teasing always seem to help her adjust," she finished. "She looks up to you."

Not exactly what I wanted to hear about the person supposed to lead me into combat. Pushing that aside for a moment, however, I thought about what Yang said.

Neither of us were the most emotional individuals, but I understood what she meant. Despite her exceptional ability, Yang's little sister wasn't exactly acclimated to the more grim realities of this type of lifestyle. All of us had heard her cry the night after the appropriately coined 'first-days' were buried.

"I'll keep that in mind," I replied still watching Jaune getting pummeled below.

The girl grabbed my closest horn and wrenched my head towards her.

"Adam, you could pretend to actually care for a moment, you know," she said bluntly. I rolled my eyes. Although we were no longer watching the match, Jaune's choked cries provided sufficient updates on his progress.

"Ruby's my teammate," I stated slowly. Her eyebrow inched upwards. I rolled my eyes "And yes, my friend as well. Of course I'm looking out for her." A faint grin appeared to tug at the corner of her mouth.

"I can only be so playful, though, Yang. I'm not her older brother, and I'm certainly not a babysitter. You shouldn't try to be either. She needs to…" I tried to think of a way to deliver it gingerly. "Understand that the world isn't so black and white. She can't save everyone."

I leveled my eyes with her to make sure she understood. After a few seconds, she looked away towards a crumpled Jaune on the sparring floor.

"Very poetic," she murmured still not looking back. After sighing, she finally turned. "Regardless, I appreciate you going out of your way. You're usually about as socially engaging as the stick up Weiss's ass.

I took the jab as a cue that she wanted to drop the matter. It wasn't the first time we'd discussed Ruby's mental development. Unfortunately, my partner didn't exactly share my thoughts. The blonde still wanted to preserve Ruby's cocoon of innocence. I wondered if she realized how much harder that would make our leader's acclimation to the brutal life as a huntress down the road.

I shook my head dismissively as I stood up to make my exit. Ren and I made up the third match, and Jaune was already being led out of the arena, supported by a consoling Pyrrha. I wasn't so sure he deserved the comfort after failing so miserably despite that initial strike. He lacked any killer-instinct, and I doubted Pyrrha could impart that.

"Adam!" My partner called out from behind, causing me to turn slightly. "I have money down on this fight, so kick his ass!"

I chuckled slightly and proceeded into the locker room. Goodwitch shouted her command, and the second match commenced.

* * *

"On my mark," the professor ordered to the two of us.

A few meters away, Ren stood poised to spring. His expression remained mostly calm despite a tightened jaw. The blades of his twin weapons glinted dangerously.

"Ren, don't let his horns deceive you. He's a pussy!" Nora yelled from the stands as her teammates tried to calm the erratic girl.

Despite the interruption, Ren's stance didn't move an inch while I remained perfectly still across from him.

"Don't listen to her, Adam! It's all _bullshit_!" Yang cheered. I tightened my grip on Wilt almost wishing it were Yang's neck.

"Begin!" Goodwitch commanded unleashing hell within the ring.

The rattling of Stormflower drowned out the screams of our teammates as Ren unleashed a hail of bullets. Unfortunately for him, the rounds ripped through empty air and impacted the dirt harmlessly.

My world flipped momentarily as I threw myself in a sideways roll and closed the distance between us in an instant before he could reorient his barrels towards me. I fired Blush to augment my draw speed, and he barely managed to deflect the blur of my scarlet blade.

I pressed the attack to avoid giving him the opportunity to deliver another barrage, and he backed up trying to block my incessant strikes.

For a short while, our bodies worked in a synchronized rhythm. The jarred clang of traded blows and the occasional gunshot masked the sound of our labored breathing.

The similarity in our swift, precise melee styles yielded no advantage to either side.

Using the momentum delivered from a horizontal slash, he planted and whipped his foot around in a vicious, head-level roundhouse. Sheathing my weapon left-handed, I blocked the kick with my right forearm. I felt a slight drop in my aura from the blow.

With the back of his heel still locked against my arm, he finished his revolution and abandoned the earth to bring the other foot around for a second strike.

I threw his first leg from the original strike upwards and ducked under the successive kick. As his body spun in the air, I stepped forward and drove an elbow into his contorted chest.

He let out a small choked grunt as the air was wrenched from his lungs, and he came crashing down to the floor. In an instant, he attempted to recover by pushing off of the ground to land on crouched feet. That was as far as he got, however.

As the half-standing combatant attempted to move and bring his weapons to bear, I grabbed the back of his head and forced it downwards into my rising knee. Ren fell backwards, and I fired to unsheathe my weapon again, sending Ren across the arena with a slash to the neck.

I released the breath I had been holding and leveled my rifle at the downed teen. I could hear Nora scream in a mix of anger and concern as I fired.

Sensing the danger he was now in now unarmed and at a range, Ren kipped-up to his feet and charged at me, allowing his aura to absorb the bullets.

After the third round struck his chest, I replaced the katana in Blush's barrel and, taking the sheathed sword in both hands, pivoted forward while pressing the weapon outward to blunt Ren's impact.

The charging, black-haired teen caught the sheath with both hands, and the weapon shook from the force of our opposing momentum. For a moment, we channeled our entire strength against each other.

Growling underneath the face-mask, I shoved forward, forcing my opponent backwards a few inches. For a brief second, he looked down at his sliding feet, and I capitalized on the distraction.

Reversing the direction of my force, I jerked the blade towards myself and snapped my head forwards against his. The collision of my horns against his aura emitted a wet crack, and his own head lurched backwards from the blow.

With his grip now slack, I twisted my weapon between us and fired the rifle to eject the blade. The hilt impacted the underside of his chin. As his body fell backwards, I gripped the half-drawn sword and, in one fluid motion, executed a vicious, one-handed uppercut along the vertical length of his body. The blade carved a blurred, scarlet arc into the air.

I sheathed my weapon before his body had even collapsed to the floor.

"Mr. Ren's aura level has fallen below the threshold," Goodwitch stated in a hard tone. "Mr. Taurus, the victory goes to you." Although her voice still carried a hint of steel, the performance had obviously been enjoyable enough to blunt her dislike for a terrorist.

From the display screen, Ren's meter read 13% while I checked in at 81%. The sound victory surprised me although it was certainly not Pyrrha's typically flawless performance.

Ignoring the mixture of simple cheers from my team and shouts from Nora, I walked over to my combatant and helped the teen to his feet. He gave me an appreciative nod which I returned.

Together we exited the dueling grounds to rendezvous with our waiting teammates in the stadium seating.

"Ren! You could crush that dirty little cheater now that you know all of his tricks. This is only one battle in a long, bitter war," Nora spit out menacingly. Narrowing her eyes in a snarl, she pointed towards me before clenching the hand into a tight fist.

I raised my eyebrow at the threat without saying anything. Beside me, Ren face-palmed. The poor bastard.

"Nora's banter aside, you did very well, Adam," Pyrrha stated smiling slightly. "It was definitely exciting to watch." I smiled appreciatively.

"Yeah, you kicked ass!" Yang grinned. I noticed the wad of cash sticking out her cleavage, but I quickly averted my eyes to avoid-

"-Why?" I sighed, exasperated at my small leader. She wore a plain, black t-shirt over her uniform. In white writing across the chest it read:

 _Adam's got milk._

The girl simply shrugged, still smiling.

She didn't take the damn thing off for the remainder of the fights, and Yang snapped a team photo to immortalize the victory and Ruby's team spirit. Weiss even almost smiled in it, so the siblings considered it a success.

As we walked out of the arena, I caught Goodwitch's eye. Her mouth was pinched in a line, and her expression was hard. Bringing up her scroll, she tapped the screen once before exiting the arena.

While the rest of team was distracted arguing amongst themselves, I kept my own device at hip-level and quickly scanned the new notification.

 _Please stop by my office today whenever you have finished your classes. Unfortunately, there are new developments to discuss._

 _-Ozpin_

I exhaled hard and felt what seemed like a frigid claw gripping my insides. My mind raced at the possibilities. I didn't think the White Fang would risk the casualties to directly attack me while at the school, but a stealthier, assassination-style op was always a possibility.

I silently prayed my team and friends wouldn't be targeted.

"Are you alright, Adam?" Yang said, breaking through my thoughts. Ruby looked at me with concern.

I quickly abandoned all traces of concern and put on a fake smile.

"Just going back over the fight," I lied, maintaining the happier demeanor. I was glad the face-covering prevented them from seeing how forced the expression was.


End file.
